Life is precarious, fragile and can most often be compared to a set of dominoes. Each piece black and white, set up on their ends just inches apart as each day goes by. The days pass, and sometimes the dominoes are placed in circular patterns as our moods and experiences change us, sometimes farther apart, and very often closer together, set together one at a time as the world goes on around them, very carefully stabilized on a surface of professional and personal morays.

There are moments in life when the surface that these pieces are placed feel shakier than others, a tremble or movement that is unexpected can shift the dominoes, and the fear of them falling is never far from your mind. The changes of mood, temperament and circumstance cause the foundation of these dominoes to become softer, weaker, less permanent. Then there is that moment, that all encompassing second when something so simple and seemingly non threatening tumbles forward into the balancing chips of black and white. It is that incident that sends everything shattering in succession, until everything is lying before you, broken and piled up in an unforeseeable mess, with an unreachable end as each and every domino falls, colliding into the next, bringing your entire world to a halt.

Booth could hear the gentle clack of the first domino falling as his gaze collided with Max's icy stare. With each passing moment, another resounding clack followed as the black and white crashed down around him, swallowing him whole.

"That is Ms. Brennan's father." The nurse broke his concentration for a split second, and he broke his stare with Max.

"I am familiar with Mr. Keenan." Booth replied in a deep whisper, his eyes moved to the room, and he was surprised to see that Max was no longer sitting in the chair beside the bed, and the door to the room was opening slowly as the older man stood stoically as it closed behind him. Booth cleared his throat, and the nurse could tell by the look on both men's face, that this was to be a private conversation. She stepped away silently, and moved toward Brennan's room, entering it to take the woman's vitals, while her guests conversed on the other side of the glass.

Max took a step toward Booth, his eyes were kinder now, his gait more worn and tired. Booth stood a little straighter, and tried to keep himself from immediately becoming defensive. Booth could see from the man's demeanor immediately that there was an aura of apology that he was trying to bury. "Do you want to see her?"

"I shouldn't." He replied immediately, and though his voice was but a whisper, it was sincere.

"No, you should. She expects you to be here." Max replied. "She loves you."

Booth winced at Max's words, this was not how he had expected his next run in with Max to go. He wanted to speak, but couldn't find the words. He wanted to be upset, but he couldn't find the emotions. The only thing he was capable of doing at this point was observe and calculate, breathe and listen to the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

"What happened?" Booth finally managed to whisper, noting the anger that flashed in Max's eyes, as it quickly disappeared again. "What… what do you know of what happened, I mean." Booth said softly.

"I called her on the day that she was going to leave for Niger." Max said sincerely, trying his best not to sound bitter. "She said she wasn't feeling well, that she wasn't leaving. She said she was fine, but…"

"Bones is never just fine when she says she is." Booth said, looking up at his fallen partner, hardly recognizable under the mask on her face, the tubes and wires were enough to make him feel nauseous once again.

Max paused for a moment, seeing the nearly disgusted look on Booth's face, he knew that it was a reaction to how he was feeling at that moment, he was very familiar with that feeling. "What did she say to you when she called?"

"I… didn't really give her much of a chance. She called me really, really early, and I wasn't thinking about time zones or anything. I just figured she had landed, I figured that's why she was calling, and I rushed her…" He sucked in a breath as he tried to control his emotions. "I rushed her off the phone. I didn't even notice where she was calling from, you know? I didn't even pay attention, and…"

"You didn't know, Booth."

"Yeah, well I should have figured it out." Booth snapped at Max, lowering his voice when he noticed that he had caught the attention of one of the nurses. "I should have figured it out." He whispered. "I shouldn't have ignored the second call. I shouldn't have let myself…" He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should have been there for her." He said, staring into Max's eyes, he could see that the older man felt for him, that the anger from earlier had drained from him. "I need to find who did this to her. I want to know who left her for dead…"

"Revenge?" Max asked.

"No." Booth said as he stared at him for a moment. "Though the temptation for revenge seems a bit inviting right now, I'm much more interested in justice. I'm much more interested in redemption, and penance. I'm more interested in keeping her alive, and making her happy for the rest of her life." He glanced to Max and watched him for a moment. "Stay with her, don't let her wake up alone."

"Booth." Max whispered.

"I have to pick up the pieces, Max. It's all falling down around us, I have to stop it before the last piece falls." He said, turning toward the door. "Tell her that I am coming back."

"I will." Max said. "But she already knows that."

"Thanks, Max." Booth said, as he turned and made his way quickly toward the exit, fighting his way through his urge to break down, as he left to find the justice that he felt Brennan deserved.